Conveyer transfer and seal means



June 4, 1940.

A. S. CHANDLER CONVEYER T RANSFER AND SEAL MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Oct. 30, 19256 INVENTOR:

ATT I RNEY.

I June 4, 1940- A. s. CHANDLER CONVEYER TRANSFER AND SEAL MEANS OriginalFiled Oct. 30, 19256 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 INVENTORI 5% E w k ATTO R N EY.

' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYJ June 1940- A. s. CHANDLER VCONVEYER TRANSFER AND SEAL MEANSOriginal Filed Oct. 30, 1936 141/67? J: C'Au/vaac /P,

w R mm R Q Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYERTRANSFER AND SEAL MEANS Austin S. Chandler, Fitchburg, Mass, assignor toThe Brown Bag Filling Machine Company, Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts 3 Claims.

This is a division of my oo-pending application, Serial No. 108,487,filed October 30, 1936, for Bag filling machine (Patent 2,173,409,issued September 19, 1939).

The invention relates to means-and arrangements for transferring bagsfrom one conveyer to another, and for conveying the bags to a de- Liverypoint and at the same time sealing the ags.

It has for an object to effect a simplifying of construction andarrangement of mechanical parts for the purposes indicated and to socoordinate the delivery conveyer with a conveyer of ere-ct bags that aminimum of space and complication in movement of the product is involvedin order to effect the desired function.

Another object is to present a novel construction in the deliveryconveyer and in its operative means.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combinationof parts involved in theembodiment of the invention as will be understood from. the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the machine.

Figure 3 is a top View with the hopper and measure mechanism removed andpartly in section. 1

Figure 4 is a top view of the operating means for the rotary conveyer.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail of one unit of the delivery conveyer on itstrack-way.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary section longitudinally of the path of thedelivery conveyer at one sprocket.

Figure 8 is a detail of the ratchet operation for vthe deliveryconveyer.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary bottom view of the delivery conveyer.

Figure 10 is a detail elevation of the deliveryconveyer.

Figure 11 is a detail section of the drive connections.

Figure 12 is a detail section of the drive connections at right anglesto Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a detail of the bag.

There is illustrated a bag filling machine which comprises a stand orpedestal 40, having the foot casting 4|, and carrying a frame-work whichincludes a knee bracket 43 and a table 41 to which the-bracket isattached by the flange arms 46. The frame work also includes upstandingside posts 49 erected on the table, one at each side near the front ofthe machine and one at the rear, and carrying at their upper parts aplatform 50, which serves as the mounting of a hopper I51 and measuremechanism not forming a novel part of the present invention, andtherefore not described herein but reference is made to my co-pendingapplication before mentioned for an understanding thereof. Thebracket43, table and platform are arranged one above the other, as maybe seen. Over the table there is erected a rotary conveyer 9! having acentral vertical main shaft 80 concentric therewith and from whichoperative connections are made to operate the conveyer step-by-step atproper stages, as will be described.

Over the conveyer there is a circular top plate 5| serving as the meansfor mounting bag Working units and fenders. Around the path of theconveyer there is also mounted a retaining rail 205 by which the topportions of bags are held against excessive outward movement, as mightbe caused by wind or otherwise.

There is at the front or filling station A of the machine a bagpresenting means I25 operative as will be explained, and a bag-openingmeans I38 cooperative therewith and with the 'conveyer. The latterincludes a bag-engaging and carrying means 95, constructed to receivethe filled bag, including a clamp arm to hold the bag. The measuredevice I85 is operative to introduce a charge of material through achute 194 and through the bag opener I38 to the bag when the opener isin opening relation to the bag, the details of which are fully describedin my said prior application and also in my later divisional applicationrelating thereto, Ser. No. 253,021, filed January 26, 1939.

While this invention is applicable to other forms of bags, in thepresent instance and in the machine of my prior application theapparatus has been constructed to work with flat open ended bags 200,each of which consists of a front wall 2M and a back Wall 202, which isjoined to the front wall at the lateral edges and bottom of the bag, theupper or outer edge of the back wall stopping a distance inwardly of theboundary of the front wall and so forming a throat 204, While thematerial of the front wall is continued therebeyond a distance withoutcreasing and shaped to form the tongue 203 by which the bag isultimately closed. The bags are arranged in the device l25 with theirthroats 204 all presented toward the conveyer, their tongues 2593upstanding and at such level that when the opener I38 is elevated itstill laps the tongues, but clears the throats 2M, and the pressure ofthe suceeding bags causes the throat of the first bag to be sprung awayfrom the tongue and respective front wall. Consequently, when the openeris lowered it enters between the front and back walls and opens the bag.

There is mounted at the left on the under side of the knee bracket amotor 54 which, through belt 55 from its pulley 53 to a pulley 5! on ahorizontal shaft 58 at the right hand side beneath the knee bracket,operates the latter shaft but releasably through a clutch. The clutchincludes a friction disc 52 fixed on the shaft 58, and the pulley 5?longitudinally slidable on the shaft and. pressed against the disc by alever II, oper ated by cam 73 and hand lever 67. By one-toone wormgearing 7il5 a horizontal countershaft I6 is operated over the shaft 58,this shaft being extended from adjacent the shaft 88 toward the right.Bevel gears Til-l8 transmit motion synchronously from the countershaftto the main shaft before mentioned. On the right hand end of thecountershaft I6 a cam disc M7 is mounted having a groove M8 thereinreceiving the wiper M9 of a lever M5 fulcrumed on an arm I46 attached toand depending from the knee bracket 3. The forward end of this lever isconnected to a plunger MI extending vertically through the table 48 anda guide sleeve M2 mounted on the table, having on its upper end avertically adjustable arm Mil carrying the opener I38 before mentioned,the lever M5 thus constituting the operating means for the opener.

The shaft 88 has a horizontal disc cam tilt (Figs. 4-5) mounted thereonunder the table M, formed with the cam groove iii! in its upper side,and at the left of the machine there is pivoted for horizontal motionclosely disposed over the disc, a lever I09 carrying the wiper HQintermediately of the length of the lever and engaged in the groove.

The conveyer frame member has a series of pins 88 dependent from itsunder side and the table ll has a channel 39 concentric with the shaftSi), in which these pins 88 move freely. In a suitable channel on theunder side of the table 41 a bar II 2 is mounted reciprocably, this barhaving-a depending pin I I3 engaged in a slot l I i extendinglongitudinally in the end of the lever I09, so that oscillation of thelever will reciprocate the bar. The bar is provided with a springpressed latch bar H4 normally tending to swing into the path of the pins88, but stopped with its end in the path. Consequently, on movement ofthe bar I I2 forwardly, the end of the latch bar I I 4 will pressagainst one pin 88 and rotate the conveyer until the movement of the barceases, and on return movement of the bar the latch bar will be engagedby the next following pin 88 and will yield thereto until its endclears, when it will again move into the path of the pins ready torepeat the step operation of the conveyer on the next movement of thebar.

At the same time that the conveyer is operated, the bar also operatesthe bag presenting device, being extended beyond the pin H3 and providedwith strike blocks I36-E3l on its under side arranged to engage a strikepin 935 on a lever I3 5 of the first order pivoted on the under side ofthe table and connected by a link I33 to the pivot pin I32 on the underside of the bag presenting device I25, so as to operate the latter. Theopen bags 200 are thus moved inward toposition for opening of the firstbag as the movement of the conveyer terminates on each step, and afteran tion A, all according to the movement of the conveyer on eachstage orstep. These have suitable operative means operated from the shaft 89 towork the bags for various respective purposes during the intermission ofmotion of the conveyer, all of which are particularly described in myprior application.

Finally, at a corresponding distance beyond the station E, a transferand sealing and delivery conveyer 300 is located at a delivery stationF, which is the sixth station shown, although the conveyer has sevensteps of movement in each revolution. Some of the bag working stationsor devices may be omitted if desired, if their functions are foundnon-essential, or other working devices substituted. The work at thelast station preceding the delivery station results in the closing ofthe bag with the tongue gummed and turned downwardly against the backwall on a sharp crease formed at the base of the tongue and constitutingthe top edge of the closed bag, and it is held in the carrier of theconveyer with this thin upper edge portion of the bag set out from theadjacent parts of the conveyer as shown and. described in my priorapplication. Consequently, in the rotation of the conveyer, the filledand closed bag is in erect position, with its upper end set outward andclear from all parts of the conveyor and other apparatus of the machine.

In line with the station F and extending radially, there is a specialtype of conveyer 300, having a novel arrangement in relation to theconveyer 9| and its carriers and serving, the

double function of removing the bags from the conveyer 9|, sealing thebags, moving them to a distance and discharging them. The bag as itleaves the closing station E has its tongue gummed and laid against theback wall of the bag as mentioned, but to remove any possibility that itwill spring open before the gum has hardened, as well as to give the baga good appearance, further pressure of the tongue for a suitable periodof time is generally considered essential,

and the conveyer 3520 is designed to effect this treatment.

For the mounting of the conveyer 300, a standbracket 295 is secured to.the side of the table 41, at the upper end of which there is a bearing298 in which the main shaft 299 of the transfer conveyer is journalled.A bracket 29? is secured to the post 39 at the same side of the machine,

this post being near the front of the machine,

and on the standard the frame bars 302 of the conveyer 380 are mounted.Owing to the fact that the radius of station F is inclined rearwardly,the bracket 29? is extended outwardly a distance from the machine inorder to lie in a line with the standard 296 at right angles to theconveyer frame 302. conveyer is fixed on the shaft 299, and endsprockets 30! at a lower level are revolubly mounted at the outer endsof the frame bars 302. These bars are longitudinally adjustable on thestandard, so that the conveyer may be kept taut, and so A drive sprocket303 of the that the gap in the conveyer at its inner end may be adjustedrelatively to the conveyer 9| and the path of bags thereon, as will beunderstood hereinafter. Side rails 3| 4 are mounted on the standard andbracket 29! at each side of the lower reach of the conveyer 300, uponwhich this part of this conveyer is supported throughout its length.

The conveyer comprises a link chain 304 comprising blocks 305 and links306 all of which may be stamped from sheet metal, as shown. The blockscomprise two identical parts L-shaped in section transverse to the chainand consisting of an inner plate 30'! forming one-half of a block, towhich a similar plate is laid in registry to form the other half of. theblock. Each plate 301 is apertured at each end to receive link pins 300,and has an outer mounting flange 309 extending at right angles to theplate in a plane parallel to a line from center to center of theapertures in the plate. The flanges thus extend oppositely from eachother and are riveted or welded to clamping members to be described. Thelinks comprise a pair of similar plates and flanges but instead of theplate portions being close together, they are spaced to receive theblock portions therebetween. The flanges of the link members are alsoriveted or welded to clamping members coacting with those carried by theblocks, as will be described. The teeth of the sprockets fit between thepins 308 and plates 301 of the blocks.

The clamping members of the conveyer are alternate rigid elements 3l0and elastic cushion elements 3. The rigid element consists of a simplerectilinear bar or tube 3|2 rectilinear in cross section arrangedtransversely of the chain with a planiform face 3l2' at the lower sideto which are secured one pair of flanges 309 of the chain. The bars maybe variously formed but as illustrated may comprise lengths of drawntube stock. The cross sectional dimension is greater in a directionperpendicular to the planes of the flanges 309. Each cushion elementcomprises a top plate 3l3 of hard metal extending parallel to the bars312, but of greater length so as to provject at each side of theconveyer over the parallel rectilinear rails 3, one rail being carriedby the bracket 29! and the other by the standard 296. A back wall 3I5which may be integral with the plate (3 is extended outwardly from onelongitudinal edge of this plate at right angles, on which an outerretaining wall or flange 3l6 is formed at right angles, making achannel-like space between the plate M3 and flange M6, in which there issecured a block 311 of cushion rubber of the same length as the bar 3I2,and having a face abutting and compressed by one adjacent bar 3l2 whenthe chain is arranged in a rectilinear path. The area of this compressedface of the block may be the same or less than that of the abutting faceof the bar, but sufficient to cover an area equal to that of the foldedend part of the bag. The thickness of the rubber blocks and the bars issuch that when the chain and clamping members are arranged in arectilinear path the aggregate thickness of all, longitudinally of theconveyer, tends to be greater than the actual length within which theyare disposed, so that the rubber is necessarily deformed by compressionbetween the bars. The flange 3l6 may project from the wall 3l5 less thanthe width of the top of the bar 3l3 and the top of the bar 3|2 may bearranged below the plate 3l3. The sprockets 30l are a distance below thelevel of the drive sprockets 303, so that the drive sprocket may clearthe lower reach of the'conveyer. The plates 3l3 and flanges 3l6 arenarrower than the corresponding faces of the block 3|! so that there isno interference with compression of the rubber, and no other elementprevents arrangement of the conveyer in a rectilinear path at its lowerpart with the blocks 3" properly compressed.

The conveyer members 3l0 and 3 become widely divergent when passingaround the sprockets 30| at the ends of the frame, and the operatingmeans for the conveyer moves it step by step so that a gap MI is formedbetween two divergent clamping members wherein the rubber face isexposed at one side, positioned over the carrier ring 93 conveniently toreceive a bag top moving on the inner table. The means for operating theconveyer includes a link 322 connected to the opener lever M5, extendedupwardly beside the standard 296 and connected to a ratchet lever 323pivoted on the main shaft 299 of the conveyer. Fixed on the shaft 295beside the lever 323 there is a ratchet wheel 324, the lever beingprojected beyond the ratchet wheel opposite the link 322 and providedwith a springpressed dog 325, while on the side of the standard spacedfrom the full stroke position of the dog there is a spring-pressed pawl326 to hold the ratchet against reverse movement. To simplify theconstruction, the ratchet is formed with the same number of teeth as thedriving sprocket. In this way, one bar M2 and one block 3|! will bemoved past the receiving position on each operation of the ratchet.

At the receiving side of the station F, the top guide rail 205 shouldstop short of the path of the bags in the conveyer. A guide plate 321 onthe top plate 5| acts with the rail 205 to confine the advancing bagtops to the path necessary to enter the gap 32! in the open part of theconveyer freely.

The operation of the conveyer to move the two divergent clamp membersforming the receiving gap 32! outward until they are pressed togethermay be coincident with the operation of the opener, and may beginshortly before the index movement of the index table stops, as theadvancing bag will have already been entered partly in the gap andactual clamping or material friction will not occur in the early part ofthe movement of the conveyer. The motion may be otherwise timed,however, as found desirable.

In the operation of the conveyer, it will be noted that the sealed bagsare held therein over a period which may be any multiple of the indexperiods according to the length of the conveyer, and with acomparatively short conveyer, as illustrated, each bag is heldclampedtherein during two turns of the index carrier of the machine, orfourteen filling operations.

It is also an advantage of this machine that the packages are deliveredin an orderly fashion so that they may readily be arranged in cartons orother shipping and sales containers and cases.

Each of the carriers includes a back plate 23!, and verticallyadjustable rest pins 232 on which the bottom of a bagmay rest whilepressed against the plate 23I, and a spring-pressed gripper lever 234having an upwardly extending arm adapted to' and normally pressed inwardand tending to clamp the lower part of a bar against the plate 23!. Thearm has knobs 235 to engage the bag very close to the lower edge, sothat the upper end of the bag is caused to set outward from the plate23L The lever is also provided with a depending arm 236 by which itmaybe operated to release and receive bags. The cam rail 238 is mountedover the table 47 in position and so shaped as to engage the arm 235when the carrier enters the station F, and hold it open until it departsfrom station A.

Operation The operation, as will be understood, is as follows: Bags arepresented and filled at station A, and each one progresses with theconveyer movement through the several stations and finally leaves theclosing station to move into station F, with its tongue pressed downagainst the back wall of the bag.

Here the conveyer 3M! stands with a gap 342 therein located over thepath of the carrier 55, and by means of the top guide 205 the advancingcorner of the bag is pressed inwardly so that it enters the gapproperly, this guide rail being located below the anvil of the folder;and an opposed fender plate 343 may be provided on the top plate 5! bywhich the bag top is properly held outward from the carrier 95. Theindex operation then brings the bag with its trailing vertical cornerwell within the side boundary of the conveyer, and the next operation ofthe opener lever I moves the conveyer one step, closing thegap, pressingthe cemented parts of the bag top firmly between the members 3 it! and3| i and moving the bag radially from the carrier so as to clear thepathof the following bag. The bag is held compressed in the conveyer andsuspended therefrom throughout a number of succeeding step movements ofthe index carrier and conveyer, and finally, when the part of theconveyer holding the bag reaches the outer sprocket 30 I, the clampingmembers open by assuming radial positions on the sprocket and releasethe bag. The bag then falls by gravity, and may be caught, collected, orordered and packed or cased by any suitable means, not shown.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described capable of measuring stock,feeding empty bags to a filling station and filling them, and havingmeans to advance them edgewise in erect position and C105- ing anddelivering the completed packages, the combination of a first conveyeradapted to receive and hold loaded bags in erect position in a planecoincident with direction of movement of the bags and to advance thebags edgewise in erect position, means to operate the conveyerstep-bystep, a delivery conveyer consisting of an endless member havingclamp elements on its outer side constructed to abut continuously butseparably at a distance from the endless member when the latter is movedin a straight path and to diverge when the endless member is moved in anarc of moderate radius, said delivery conveyer being mounted forcircuitous movement with a straight departure path at its lower sideextending from closely adjacent the path of the first conveyer and abovethe level of the bag tops on the latter,

and having curved path of short radius immediately over and adjacentthe'first conveyer, said clamp elements movable with the deliveryconveyer intermittently and alternately with the mo-, conveyer, andmeans to move the delivery conveyer intermit-ently and alternately withthe motion of the first conveyer, the delivery conveyer and the means tomove the same being constructed so that its clamp members next the firstconveyer will be positioned divergently in said curved path with theopening between two alined with the path of the bags at eachintermission of its movement, said delivery conveyer being mounted withan outer curved path also, whereby to cause release of gripped bags.

2. In a machine of the character described, the

combination, construction and arrangement of means to advance fiat bagsstep-by-step edgewise in erect position with a flap having adhesivethereunder at the top, an endless conveyer chain device arranged to movein a vertical orbit extending at right angles to and partly across thepath of the advancing bags, and comprisingcomplementary clampingelements onrespective link elements of the chain, said conveyer having arectilinear reach at its lower part positioned at a level with the topsof the advancing bags, andhaving a supporting wheel at the inner end ofsaid reach adjacent the first named path of the bags and another at theend of said reach, whereby said complementary members will be held in awidely separated position immediately at the first named path, and meansto operate the chain conveyer intermittently and during periods of restof the bag advancing means, whereby opened complementary members will bestationary and'located at opposite sides of an edgewise advancing bag,and will be moved into the horizontal reach in clamping relation to aninterposed bag during the succeeding period of rest of said bagadvancing means, carrying the last engaged bag, and will release thesame at the outer end of the reach.

3. In a conveyer of the character described, a primary conveyer movablein a fixed path, and constructed to move articles with a free portionprojected in one direction, a second conveyer arranged to move in a pathtransverse to that of the first conveyer, and consisting of pivotedclamp members pivoted in 'a chain relation and having major partsoutwardly of the pivotal connections s I in the direction of the firstconveyer, guide means for the second conveyer adjacent the firstconveyer to cause it to move in a curved path and to support the clampmembers in divergent relation to their said projected parts whilecrossing the path of the first conveyenand means to move the twoconveyers step by step alternately and to position the second conveyerwith divergent clamp members spaced at opposite sides of the path of thesaid free portion of the articles on the first conveyer duringintermission of movement of the latter.

AUSTIN S. CHANDLER.

